Applied Industrial Technologies vs Core & Main
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KIRA’s take AI analyst
I put Applied Industrial Technologies and Core & Main side by side, using each one’s latest annual report. Here is what stands out:
- Core & Main is the larger business, with $7.6B of revenue in fiscal 2025 against $5.0B for Applied Industrial Technologies, about 1.5 times as much.
- Applied Industrial Technologies grew revenue faster (8.8%, against 2.8%).
- Applied Industrial Technologies kept more of each dollar of sales as operating profit (11.1% operating margin, against 9.4%).
- Applied Industrial Technologies turned more of its sales into free cash flow (9.3% FCF margin, against 7.9%).
- Applied Industrial Technologies earned a higher return on the capital invested in it (20.8%, against 13.7%).
Who comes out ahead
Of the 11 measures where higher (or lower) is clearly better, how many each company leads.
Applied Industrial Technologies
AIT
8/11
Revenue growthGross marginOperating marginNet marginFCF marginReturn on capitalNet debt / EBITDAShare count change
Core & Main
CNM
2/11
5-year growthReturn on equity
Side by side
Best in the row
| Latest fiscal year | AIT FY26 | CNM FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| Market cap | $12.3B | $8.2B |
| Revenue | $5.0B | $7.6B |
| Free cash flow | $461M | $604M |
| Net income | $415M | $441M |
| Growth | ||
| Revenue growth | 8.8% | 2.8% |
| 5-year growth | 9.0% | 16.0% |
| Share count change | −2.5% | −1.8% |
| Profitability | ||
| Gross margin | 30.3% | 26.9% |
| Operating margin | 11.1% | 9.4% |
| Net margin | 8.4% | 5.8% |
| FCF margin | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Return on capital | 20.8% | 13.7% |
| Return on equity | 22.4% | 23.9% |
| Balance sheet | ||
| Net debt | $135M | $1.9B |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 0.2x | 2.1x |
| Dividends and buybacks | $390M | $155M |
| Valuation & quality | ||
| P/E | — | 17.4x |
| Piotroski F-score | 7 | 7 |
Ten years
Revenue
Operating margin
Free cash flow
Return on capital
Each company's latest fiscal year; fiscal years end in different months. The best value in each row is highlighted where higher (or lower) is clearly better. Not investment advice.